Risky drinking and its consequences are common on college campuses. In fact, in 2001 almost 600,000 such injuries occurred and in 2005 almost 2,000 U.S. College students died as a result. Now, researchers have discovered that alcohol induced blackouts can be a predictor of the likelihood of booze-related injuries. Study participants who reported no alcohol-fueled blackouts had a 2-year injury rate of 25.6%. However, a significant dose response was found for alcohol-induced injury of 57% in those reporting 1-2 memory blackouts and 164% for those reporting 6+ blackouts.
PositiveTip: It may be popular, but college-age students should avoid binge-drinking for many reasons, including accident prevention.